Moss Point students putting Backpacks of Hope together for Sandy victims

Moss Point students Sieb Peoples, 18, and Antwawn Davis 17, fill backpacks with academic supplies for students in New York. (Vivian Austin / Correspondent)

MOSS POINT, Mississippi -- Kindergarten students spent Thursday morning writing letters before high school students added the holiday notes to backpacks they had filled with academic supplies and toys bound for middle school students in New York.

"I feel good because it's a good thing we are trying to help people get things because they don't have it," said Shunda Tate, 16, who was among 13 students at Moss Point High who worked during lunch break to assemble the backpacks.

Stephanie Packer, communications director for the Moss Point School District, said the letter writing and package assembly are the last leg of the collection drive for the Sandy Holiday Backpacks for Hope, led by students at Magnolia Junior High.

"They remember so many people who were donating to them and all the letters they got," said Packer. "When we had Katrina they sent us so many pens and pencils."

She said today's junior high students were third and fourth graders during Katrina, but they still remember the storm and the losses they suffered.

"They remember being in a class with a pen and piece of paper because there was nothing else to do," said Packer, who was then a one-year teacher at Magnolia.

Stephanie Packer, communication director, shows Moss Point High School students how to assemble school supplies and toys for the Sandy Holiday Backpacks for Hope. (Vivian Austin / Correspondent)Gareth Clary | GulfLive.com

The Beta Club at Moss Point Escatawpa Upper Elementary School helped about 250 kindergarteners at Moss Point Kreole Primary School write holiday well wishes for students at Elias Bernstein Intermediate School on Staten Island. The 35 fifth- and sixth graders at Escatawpa rotated among the kindergartners to help compose the notes.

"The fifth and sixth graders were excited to go over there and help those students," said Packer.

Students at Magnolia, who already had begun a school drive with teacher Sheri Andrews, led the district-wide collection. Eighth-grader Drew Cunningham will inspect the backpacks Friday to make sure everything is in order, said Packer.

He researched the Internet to find a middle school that sustained similar damage to that of Magnolia when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, said Packer. She said students at Elias Bernstein are now housed at George L. Egbert Intermediate School, and both schools are located on Staten Island.

FYI

What: Sandy Holiday Backpacks for Hope

When: Donation deadline is Dec. 14

Where: Moss Point School District Administration
Building on Church Street.

Details: Items to donate include pencils, pens,
notebook paper, book bags, folders, notes of holiday hope, and all other types
of school supplies.

Details: Monetary contributions (checks or money
orders only) should be made to MPSD with the memo Sandy Holiday Backpacks for
Hope.

Packer said the Staten Island students number about 900, but administration officials there said they would welcome half that amount in donations and Christmas gift presents. The district will send about 450 backpacks filled with supplies and toys.

Monetary contributions will provide more backpacks, she said.

"I think it's a nice thing we are doing because when Hurricane Katrina came a school did it for us," said Tony Stallworth. During Katrina, Stallworth was a student at Gautier Elementary School, which was heavily damaged and students had to attend College Park Elementary School.

"I feel like it's a good thing to do," said William Austin, 17, who also spoke for his English classmates. "They want to help to make things better."

Teacher Taiya Wright said the 13 students assembling the packages were among 22 in her class but the other students had tests. As well, she said another class wanted to help with the assembly.

"They volunteered to come and help out because they've already been in this situation. It's an opportunity to do for somebody what was done to you,' the teacher said.

She said most of her students donated paper, some pens and pencils. "It's not very often you get them very excited about helping people. When they do, you have to act on it," said Wright.